{"id":32851,"date":"2024-04-09T21:33:28","date_gmt":"2024-04-10T04:33:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=32851"},"modified":"2024-04-09T21:33:29","modified_gmt":"2024-04-10T04:33:29","slug":"refuting-jurists-lloyd-austin-says-us-has-no-evidence-of-gaza-genocide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2024\/04\/09\/refuting-jurists-lloyd-austin-says-us-has-no-evidence-of-gaza-genocide\/","title":{"rendered":"Refuting Jurists, Lloyd Austin Says US Has No Evidence of Gaza Genocide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Lloyd<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks during a February 29, 2024 House Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0(Photo: Tom Williams\/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. defense secretary’s remarks came after Sen. Elizabeth Warren and other law experts around the world asserted that Israel’s Gaza onslaught meets the legal definition of genocide.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

BRETT WILKINS<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apr 09, 2024 (CommonDreams.org)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday became the latest Biden administration official to deny that Israel’s six-month bombardment, invasion, and siege of Gaza<\/a> constitute a genocide, a statement that came after Sen. Elizabeth Warren<\/a> joined a growing number of international jurists asserting that Israeli policies and actions are genocidal under the letter of the law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After pro-Palestine protesters wearing T-shirts with the message “Austin’s Legacy = Genocide” interrupted a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday morning, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) asked the Pentagon chief if Israel was committing genocide in Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We don’t have any evidence of genocide being created,” Austin replied after a short pause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After telling the defense secretary his response was “better than” the replies from CIA Director William Burns and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines\u2014whom Cotton said “dodged that question” before the committee last month\u2014the senator asked Austin to respond to allegations of “greenlighting genocide” in Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“From the very beginning, we committed to help assist Israel in defending its territory and its people by providing security assistance, and I would remind everybody, you know, that what happened on October 7 was absolutely horrible,” Austin said, referring to the Hamas-led attacks in which more than 1,100 Israelis and others were killed\u2014at least some of them<\/a> by so-called “friendly fire”\u2014and over 240 others were kidnapped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, when asked if he believes Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza: "We don't have evidence of that."

So, Israel's killing of more than 33,000 Palestinians\u201444% of whom are children\u2014in 6 months, after top Israeli officials\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/50cznisMxn<\/a><\/p>— Rachel Blevins (@RachBlevins) April 9, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>